In 2018, Genia Newkirk found out her 5-year-old niece, Nadia, who she had never met before, was taken into foster care three hours away from where she lived. She took it upon herself to go meet her niece, attend all the court sessions, and get many background checks to have Nadia in her care. On February 28, 2019, Genia was not only celebrating her birthday, but Nadia officially being placed in her care, beginning Genia’s relative caregiver journey.
She started out as a licensed foster parent for 6 months because of outlying court responsibilities, but in September of 2019, she got legal guardianship because the judge threatened she could lose Nadia if she didn’t.
It wasn’t easy at first. Genia was a single parent, she was working a full-time job, and after gaining legal guardianship, the foster care stipend ended, and she was left having to find many of the resources Nadia was eligible for on her own. Genia was also a disabled veteran with benefits, but with legal guardianship, Nadia couldn’t receive any of them.
She was able to get Medicaid, apply for child support from Nadia’s mom and dad, and she was connected with Kinship in Action (KIA), where they had helpful, virtual support groups every other Wednesday. The program also made sure the kids had back to school items and gifts during Christmas through one of the programs they offered.
Nadia is now 8 years old, in 3rd grade, and loves horseback riding, acting, piano lessons, girl scouts, and many other activities. Genia likes to keep her busy and with a routine, and Nadia excels in everything she does.
Genia does wish that there were more programs that helped with parental boundaries and accountability because she faced tensions with Nadia’s mother and didn’t know how to navigate the relationship. She also wished there was an exception to the legal terms of Nadia not being eligible for her veteran disabilities benefits. She found it unfair that if she were to marry, her stepchildren would be eligible for the benefits, but Nadia would not under legal guardianship.
Genia finds her caregiver journey to come up in every aspect of her life, so as a GRAND voice she would love to share her story with others that would help create positive change, find solutions to the gaps in the system, and build relationships and connections that are stronger than the circumstance that surround children in relative care.
